Democrat Cherfilus-McCormick Quits House After Theft Allegations

Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick appears before the House Ethics Committee in March.Photographer: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

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By Alicia Diaz

April 21, 2026 at 6:02 PM UTC

Updated on

April 21, 2026 at 6:26 PM UTC

Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Florida Democrat, resigned from Congress Tuesday amid allegations that she stole pandemic relief funds.

The Justice Department indicted Cherfilus-McCormick, 47, for allegedly conspiring to steal $5 million in federal disaster funds, routing it through several accounts to disguise its source and using some of the money to fund her campaign in 2021. She pleaded not guilty.